2-Week "Montana Method" Template

[KrustyKrab65]

I am also having a hard time trying to spread it over 5 consecutive days.

I've revised it:



Now it's totally divorced from "calendar time". I've been meaning to do that for a while. Now it's just 12 sessions. You autoregulate intersession rest.

Hey Hanley,

Quick question on Session #4 OHP....I'm assuming you mean 85% of the 1@7 single, correct? Not 85% of the e1RM of that single?

--Bryan

[Hanley]

85% of the 1@7 single, correct?

Yessir. This.

[KrustyKrab65]

Coolio! Thank you, kind sir!

[bjb]

So, I've just finished my 5th "12 session" cycle of MM. Abandoning the 3 week cycle and going with a 12 session cycle was a game changer for managing stress and fatigue.

PR Improvements

SQ: 465 > 490
DL: 460 > 490
BP: 305 > 330
OP: 210 > 225

I couldn't be more pleased as every lift broke past PRs that I had rammed up against several times. Work and family commitments / stress are ramping up so I'm going to convert to something less intensive but will return to MM when I can. Thanks @Hanley!

[Hanley]

PR Improvements

Congrats! Awesome work man.

[TheGloriousW]

MM three week general strength while cutting, OK idea or excercise in frustration? I am looking to switch to it after my hypertrophy program is finished. I am slightly concerned because what was a 1@9 seems to have become 1@Can't do.

[Hanley]

MM three week general strength while cutting, OK idea or excercise in frustration?

Eh. I don't think it's a great idea.

I'm all about moving the goalposts on cuts.

Consider NOT tracking e1rm in comp lifts & track metrics that improve with fat loss (relative/bodyweight strength, power, cardio performance, etc)

[augeleven]

Hanley hates cutting, but you can (I have?) make it work if you are realistic with your expectations and use the template built-in auto regulation.

To be clear, by being “realistic with your expectations” I mean that you might (probably?) get weaker/lose muscle.
But what are you gonna do? (hint: not “not train”)

So while the template won’t give you guaranteed total optimal weight loss/strength gain-itude, the rep ranges and unassigned set sizes will give you plenty of wiggle room, without having to RPE your way there.
As for the singles-Fuck em. Or not. If you think you got them take them. If not, bump some of the single or skip entirely.
I ran 3 cycles of the 3 week while cutting and running 10ish miles a week. Then I switched programs and...ate a lot of popcorn and ice cream. mmm popcorn and ice cream. Wait what were we talking about?

[TheGloriousW]

@Hanley @augeleven

Errrr, I think I have to try. I enjoyed the variety of the two week MM program too much. It will be a nice change from 4 sets of X. My sets have been going fine, just the really heavy singles are a problem. A lot of it is probably mental. Cutting makes me tired.

I already have it spread over five weekdays because that works for me much better. I will reduce the load on the singles and use sessions 11 and 12 as free-for-alls or deloads depending on how I feel. No focus on e1RM.

[Guinnessman]

@Hanley

How would you program Slingshot Bench into MM? I just ordered one to try for gainz.

[Hanley]

@Hanley

How would you program Slingshot Bench into MM? I just ordered one to try for gainz.

I love slingshot. I think it works really well.

In the 2-week MM, I'd simply sub "power day" with slingshot work (and scrap closed grip bench altogether).

I'd probably alternate weeks of

Session A
5-7 doubles with about 92-95% bench e1RM

Session B
2-3 singles @ 98-103ish% bench e1RM, then
25ish reps with 85-87% e1RM in sets of 3-6

[Philbert]

I am running the 8 session template, in my 4th cycle. I am progressing load by increasing the e1rm arbitrarily 5-10 lbs each cycle, because I have consistently failed to distinguish 1 rir from 4 rir or any other reasonably objective measure of RPE.
Now for my question: At this rate, I will be 20 weeks in before I know if this is working for my squat or not. Should I interrupt training at some point to test a max, or do a high percentage AMRAP? (this would have to be a true AMRAPto have any real diagnostic value). Or should I just carry on and save testing for a meet?
For reference, I am 42, male, 205lbs slowly gaining weight, with 10 years of intermittent lifting. Best intermediate programming success was with variations of KUA 1.0

[Hanley]

Should I interrupt training at some point to test a max, or do a high percentage AMRAP? (this would have to be a true AMRAPto have any real diagnostic value). Or should I just carry on and save testing for a meet?
For reference, I am 42, male, 205lbs slowly gaining weight, with 10 years of intermittent lifting. Best intermediate programming success was with variations of KUA 1.0

I would do heavy, near-mar or max singles. You could take a sort of "pivot/test week", spread the singles for the different lifts out over a few sessions and fill in with some lower stress fluffy movements.

That's what I do when I want to test with minimal disruption

[Caffeine]

I just completed the 4th cycle of the 2-week MM, but I seem to have burnt out on deadlifts. I had to deload last weeks 5x4 after my top single was a solid 9.5-10, (same RPE as last weeks top single). The first set of 4 felt awful and was barely moving so I took 20lbs off and completed the workout.
Would it be better to reduce the DL volume or just move on to other programming? The single @9.5 was 20lbs below my tested 1Rm prior to the first cycle.

[EggMcMuffin]

@Hanley Would it be dumb to run two cycles of this while on a huge caloric deficit? I'm looking for a stopgap while I try to go from 183 -> 173 in order to complete 위하여 The Ardous 놔둬충분하지 DeFatFuckization

[Hanley]

Would it be better to reduce the DL volume or just move on to other programming?

I'd move on

[Hanley]

Would it be dumb to run two cycles of this while on a huge caloric deficit?

I wouldn't do that. But if I were on a huge caloric deficit, I wouldn't really strength-train. I'd probably focus on cardiorespiratory fitness, relative power and bodyweight stuff.

[Philbert]

I tested this week after 6 cycles spread over 16 weeks (partially due to work and partially due to being a slacker). Added 30 lbs to squat and am 10 lbs below lifetime PR at a lighter weight, 25 lbs to bench and set a 5 lb PR, and 5 lbs to deadlift, also 10 lbs from lifetime PR, and I might have done better on the deadlift had I not failed my last squat attempt.

[Skander]

Btw I've been running this for squat and bench, and I liked a modification I made- in the first week, on the day you do singles at 90%, I do that set as an AMRAP. Then, I just plug the number of sets into a 1RM calculator and use that to adjust the eRM for the following cycle. Functionally this usually means 3 reps= repeat the cycle, 4+= increase eRM. I like doing it in week 1 so the rest of the cycle isn't intimidating in any way, but I know a reward of increased weight is coming. Done this for maybe 6 cycles or so. I did have a bad day and managed only 3 once, but recognized that and increased eRM and hit exactly the expected sets in the next cycle. I'm still running this for bench for now and I like it.


Another thing I'm doing is that the 3rd bench day in week 1 seemed not that useful for my purposes as written and so I just decided to make that a no bench day, and for some reason I really like the rhythm- it feels like a sort of holiday. 5/6 days are still bench for me, just one off in the middle. I'll look at my program, think "what's for bench today?", see that note and it feels like I have an extra chunk of time to do what I like. I often do bench related accessories instead, but the whole thing feels more fresh.

[Wilhelm]

Just finished one cycle of the MM 3 week, DL portion only.
Used pretty aggressive loading, and was fine with everything except to top single on the last day (today)
Had 485 slated, didn't budge.
Got 455 instead, completed all the other prescribed sets.
Did the top reps per session the whole cycle.

Pulled 490.5lb at the meet pretty smoothly.

I have been cutting, and lowered calories to 2,100 the past three days, but regardless of that, i just like how MM 2 day works for my DL, and the top single progression

I specifically want to be pulling heavy twice a week now though, which is why i tried the 3 week.

What i'm going to do now is use the 2 week template for day 1 of the week, and the day 2 worksets from weeks 1&2 of the 3 week template instead of the light snatch grip day 2 from MM 2 week.

I know i'm ready for pulling heavy twice week, just need to set it up to suit me.